Fever!!

Last Thursday (9/1), the school nurse called me just before lunchtime to tell me that Samuel was in the office with 100.4 fever. He also had a stomachache & headache. Because the school rules state that any temperature over 100 must go home, I needed to come pick him up ASAP. And due to the "24 hour rule", which states he must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication, he could not return to school on Friday.

I rushed over to pick him up, a little frazzled that he was coming down with something. I bought him some Gatorade & made him lay on the couch & watch TV all day. He tried to get up & do things several times, but I kept reprimanding him to lay back down & rest! He kept asking if he could go back to school on Friday (he really wanted to), but I told him no. He was really bummed that he would miss a test in math class and a quiz in science. (At this point I checked his head again....surely the fever was UP if he was worried about math tests & science quizzes. ha ha)

On Friday, I stayed home with him. Larry had a major case at work to deal with. I was fine with that since I enjoy having some snuggle time with my kiddos when they're sick. I took the girls to school that morning & let Sam sleep a little. He didn't wake up until 9:00am (super late for him!!), but once he was up, he was like a new man. Full of energy, big appetite, raring to go! (And no fever!) Rather than sit around all day, we went to the grocery store & the post office. He had a cheeseburger for lunch & felt great all day! I assumed that his short lapse of fever on Thursday was just a fluke thing & didn't worry too much about it.

Saturday was a normal day. He was totally fine. We found out late Saturday that Larry & I would have to make a quick day trip out of town on Sunday, so the kids went to Grandma's for the night. While there, they went to church with them, hung out, played games...you know, all the good stuff you get to do at Grandma's house. And then on Monday, everyone was off of work & school so we just hung out at home & relaxed.

When Tuesday rolled around, it was time for everyone to get back to school!

About 11:30, the secretary at my school came to my room & let me know that the school nurse had just called. Samuel had fever. AGAIN. What?????????????? After 4 days of being perfectly FINE, he had fever again????
I clocked out & went to pick him up. I work 4-5 minutes from his school and we live about another 2 minutes away. Shortly after we got home, I pulled out our thermometer & re-checked his temp. No fever. In fact, it was like 97.6....BELOW normal. I called the school & asked if there was a chance that their thermometer was broken. (It wasn't.) Off & on all day, he had a minor headache. And he did doze off once working on homework. But aside from that, he never had any more fever or any other symptoms. He was bouncing off the walls by that afternoon. I felt ridiculous keeping him home ANOTHER day (to honor the 24 hour rule) but I'm a rule follower.

Since I had been off work for a couple days taking care of him, he spent Wednesday with my mom & dad. They took him to help deliver Meals on Wheels. He went to the store with my dad & bought deer corn to fill the feeders. He walked down to my parents' pond and back with my dad. He watched a movie & ate a yummy Grandma-cooked lunch. Yeah, I know. Sounds miserable doesn't it? ha ha!

This morning came & it was time for him to go back to school. And to be sure he didn't come down with a mysterious fever again, I loaded him up with Ibuprofen. I know....it's against the rules to use medicine to keep him fever-free before going back to school, but by golly.....he's FINE.

*Disclaimer*
I talked to Samuel at length & was satisfied that he was being honest with the nurse & with me. He didn't have any emotional/psychological problem or fear of a bully (or anything else) at school to make him go to the office & complain of a physical problem to get out of school.
AND
I did call the pediatrician's office. They did not see any need for Samuel to come in & be examined after talking to me on the phone. They 'diagnosed' a fever virus over the phone and said we'd just have to wait it out.